Andre Russell and Chris Gayle left stunned by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Eliminator – Gayle and Russell Stunned by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Eliminator Carnage
The Rise of the ‘Boss Baby’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Lights Up the Eliminator
The Indian Premier League has always been a breeding ground for young talent, but what transpired at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur was nothing short of historic. Rajasthan Royals (RR) wunderkind Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, affectionately dubbed ‘Boss Baby’ by fans, completely dominated the online and cricketing discourse following his absolute destruction of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) bowling attack in the IPL 2026 Eliminator.
Sooryavanshi’s jaw-dropping innings of 97 runs from a mere 29 balls guided the Rajasthan Royals to a convincing victory, securing their spot in Qualifier 2 where they are scheduled to clash with the formidable Gujarat Titans. The sheer audacity of his batting has caught the attention of the cricketing world, most notably drawing high praise from undisputed T20 legends Chris Gayle and Andre Russell.
How the Carnage Unfolded in Mullanpur
Winning the toss, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins elected to bowl first—a decision he would quickly grow to regret. The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi made his intentions crystal clear from the very first over, launching Cummins over the boundary for a massive six. He followed that up with another maximum against Eshan Malinga in the second over, setting an explosive tone for the powerplay.
The real destruction, however, began in the third over when Sooryavanshi faced Cummins again. Showing absolutely no respect for the World Test Championship-winning captain, the youngster dispatched Cummins for three consecutive sixes. He then targeted Sakib Hussain in the fourth over, matching that feat with three more sixes. By the end of the six-over powerplay, Sooryavanshi had raced to 60 runs off just 20 balls, having already cleared the boundary eight times.
Even after the field restrictions were lifted, there was no respite for the SRH bowlers. The left-hander added four more maximums to his tally before finally holing out off the bowling of Praful Hinge. He departed for an incredible 97 runs off 29 balls, falling agonizingly short of both a well-deserved century and Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for the fastest IPL century, which was achieved in 30 balls.
Archer Defends the Total After Mid-Innings Slowdown
Following Sooryavanshi’s dismissal, the Rajasthan Royals’ momentum slowed down considerably. While Dhruv Jurel played an exceptional hand, scoring a rapid 20-ball fifty, the rest of the batting lineup could only manage brief cameos. Despite the late slowdown, the platform laid by the teenage opener allowed Rajasthan Royals to post a massive total of 243 runs on the board.
Faced with a daunting chase, Sunrisers Hyderabad possessed the firepower to make a match of it, but England speedster Jofra Archer had other plans. Archer produced a masterclass in powerplay bowling, sending back SRH’s explosive top three—Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan—before the field restrictions had even ended. SRH never truly recovered from this early triple-blow. Although Nitish Kumar Reddy and Salil Arora got decent starts, they could only delay the inevitable as the Rajasthan Royals wrapped up a comfortable 47-run victory.
T20 Icons Gayle and Russell Send Their Praises
In the wake of his spectacular performance, social media was flooded with reactions, with T20 pioneers Chris Gayle and Andre Russell leading the applause. Gayle, widely regarded as the ‘Universe Boss’ and the greatest T20 batsman of all time, shared screenshots of the official IPL broadcast on his Instagram account to commend the youngster. Gayle wrote: ‘Carnage @vaibhav_sooryavanshi09, unlucky there, but you will get there eventually.’ In a follow-up post showcasing the youngster’s record-breaking stats, Gayle added: ‘Outstanding @vaibhav_sooryavanshi09, a new six machine @iplt20.’
Kolkata Knight Riders legend Andre Russell also took to Instagram to share his admiration for the young prodigy. Interestingly, Russell addressed the ongoing social media chatter regarding Sooryavanshi’s age. An older interview of the batsman had recently resurfaced, prompting some fans to allege that he might be approximately one-and-a-half years older than his official age of 15. Russell shut down the detractors with a strong message of support: ‘Congratulations, youngster. Haters will say that you are not 15 years old, who cares? 30-year-olds out here trying their best to do what you are doing. Keep going, I’m a big fan. See ball, hit ball.’
A Historic IPL 2026 Season for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Currently playing in just his second IPL season, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is putting together one of the most prolific individual campaigns in T20 history. His consistent ability to clear the boundary has made him the most feared batsman in the tournament.
Across 15 matches this season, Sooryavanshi has accumulated an incredible 680 runs, deservedly holding the Orange Cap. His runs have come at an impressive average of 45.33 and an extraordinary strike rate of 243. With four half-centuries, one century, and a record-breaking 65 sixes—the most ever hit by a single batsman in an IPL season—the young left-hander has firmly established himself as the present and future of T20 cricket.
